


corruptio optimī pessima

by Dannilovesangst, Mossgreen



Series: 2770 ab urbe condita [71]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Hand Feeding, M/M, Original Character(s), Sexual Slavery, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:55:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27673649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dannilovesangst/pseuds/Dannilovesangst, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mossgreen/pseuds/Mossgreen
Summary: Drusus Varius Metellus and his slave Ven meet a master and slave who could use a helping hand
Series: 2770 ab urbe condita [71]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1059413
Comments: 36
Kudos: 38
Collections: 2770 ab urbe condita - the collected fiction





	1. Chapter 1

Ven wasn't sure he'd ever been into Phallusy's flagship store in Rome before, but his master had wanted to call in to inspect it or something, and wherever he went, Ven went.

It was a little odd, walking around and seeing all the things his master used on him, laid out for anyone to look at. Of course, the place didn't sell just sex toys (though that was a large portion of the stock), but things that any slave owner would need at some point, from restraints to corrective implements such as whips and floggers.

There was clothing, too - Ven recognised the leggings that were a popular item in the colder months, the slave version with the open crotch and the master's version that was sewn up.

Unlike the smaller branch of the chain near the house, this one was a large open space with each item given its own mini display, with assistants poised to fetch anything a customer wanted, or standing ready to explain or possibly even to demonstrate.

It wasn't the most comfortable place for a slave, especially one who was intimately acquainted with a good selection of the stock on offer.

His master seemed more concerned with talking to the staff than browsing the stock, which meant Ven could sneak careful glances around, always coming back to watching his master in case he was wanted for anything.

His master wasn't the only person in the store, nor was Ven the only slave. He could see another man, trailed by two slaves, one about ten years younger than Ven, who looked more like the idea conjured up by the words puer dēlicātus. He had tanned skin and long almost-black hair reaching halfway to his hips. He was wearing a dark blue tunic with orange trim, which reached a little more than halfway down his thighs, a gold bracelet, and a totally blank expression as he followed his master around, eyes lowered.

The other slave was dressed the same way, except with a more decorated and intricately woven rope belt. He had a weary and long suffering expression as he lugged a secretary's satchel like Ven's over his shoulder, and he also had his hands full with several items from around the store. Both slaves were of a similar height, the older one being slightly taller, which could be simply because he was older and the teen hadn't finished growing yet.

Their master was about the same height as Ven's master, possibly even a little taller. From the covert glances that were all Ven could give, he appeared to be in his forties, in pretty good shape although thickening at the waist as older men often did after years of good living. He was wearing a very good quality embroidered tunic and pallium, and had the bearing of the born patrician which his gold ring showed him to be.

The master was keeping the staff busy. Gesturing to this and that and asking non-stop questions, he’d acquired his own personal sales assistant who looked like he would rather be anywhere else. Given the amount of items the older slave was carrying, it looked like they’d been here for quite a while already.

“Why would I want to use a penis gag on him? If I want a cock in his throat, I’ll use my own. I do want a gag though...oooo. What about that one? I like the colour.”

The sales assistant taking care of the display smiled cheerfully at them as they stopped.

“Can I help you find something, Sir? What kind of gags do you like using?”

The citizen frowned as he looked over the display.

“I honestly have no idea. First time doing this type of stuff that isn’t a punishment. Julian. Kneel.”

He snapped his fingers at the floor, and the boy smoothly knelt on a cushion placed there for such purposes. Picking up a few of the display models, he held them near the boy’s face, growling and muttering before addressing the slave.

“You have worn gags before, you said?”

“Yes, Dominus. During training.”

“Training.” The citizen snorted. “I would like to strangle that so-called trainer at times...Oh, Minerva have mercy. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing here.”

He had spoken perhaps a little more loudly than he had intended to, and drawn Ven's master's attention. They weren't that far away, after all, and Drusus stepped over. The harried assistant took a step back to make room as Drusus said, "I couldn't help overhearing. Perhaps I can be of some help to you. What is the problem, exactly?"

The kneeling slave was looking down, so Ven couldn't catch his eye, but that didn't stop him sending the kid a reassuring look. The older slave caught his eye and made a gesture of reassurance; he didn’t look worried, just very tired. Neither master noticed this exchange as the other citizen grimaced.

“The problem is I buy myself a beautiful young boy who they say is trained, and then realise I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. I don’t want to accidentally hurt him, but I do want to try out some new things. Nothing big, but I’ve only ever done the absolute basics as punishments before. While he is perfectly obedient, I would still like to be able to gag him without worrying I’ll choke him, and using restraints when I feel like asserting more control. Not that he ever moves if I don’t order it. Ah!”

Taking a deep breath, the citizen took a moment to get himself back under control before he spoke in a calmer voice.

“I apologize for the rant. It’s been a long day. I’m Marcus Aemilius Flavianus.”

"Drusus Varius Metellus," Drusus said, offering his arm for a shake the way free people did. Marcus returned the gesture.

"So, if I understand you correctly, you have a trained slave, and you don't know exactly what his training has prepared him for. Would that be a fair summary?"

They were going to get involved, weren't they! Ven unobtrusively tried to get his hand into the kneeling slave's line of sight to give him a gesture of reassurance. He remembered Ari's nervousness that time they'd visited Magister Valerius at the Universitās, and hoped that his master wouldn't have the same effect on this kid.

“That’s one way to put it, but not the full story. From what I understand, he was trained to do literally everything a sex fanatic could ever want. I don’t want that, however. He’s perfect for what I want him for; the issue lies with me. I’ve never had a pleasure slave before. And I have even less experience with males. And he’s a good boy. I don’t want my inexperience to accidentally hurt him. He’s skittish enough because of some of the things they put him through during ‘training’. Negative reinforcement is not how you train someone!”

The citizen sounded very put out and even angry with these unnamed trainers.

"I see," Drusus said, speaking calmly. "The first thing I think you need to practice is to observe your slave. While slaves are taught to be quiet and unobtrusive, a concubīnus is different - there's a reason we chose our pets, after all. The opposite of the negative reinforcement is positive reinforcement, reward."

He snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor beside him. Ven stepped forward and knelt, keeping his eyes lowered as his master smoothed his hair.

"A reward for good behaviour doesn't have to be something big, just a comforting gesture can be all that is needed."

Marcus nodded.

“I praise him verbally whenever he does something right at home. And he loves head scratches.” The citizen’s hand carded through the hair on the boy’s scalp as he spoke, seemingly in a subconscious motion. The boy leant into it, posture relaxing slightly, though he held perfect form. “He’s a good boy. I haven’t yet had reason to be angry with his behaviour, and I’ve had him for almost six months now. And he’s an angel in bed. I just don’t want to accidentally hurt him. Not after we’ve gotten this far.”

"Observation will be key, especially if he's gagged - I don't ever leave my boy on his own if he's restrained. Do you know what he's trained to accept?"

“The usual. Whips, canes, floggers, all that stuff that I currently have no interest in using. I don’t have much clue about anything else. He wears a butt plug and there’s no trouble there. I would like to get him gold plated wrist restraints to wear as decoration as much as anything else. He does look gorgeous in gold.”

"I can see that," Drusus replied. "I would be a little cautious about plated cuffs, especially for long-term wear. Leather would be more comfortable, and we have a wide range of colours - he would look stunning in teal, for example, or a darker blue to match your livery."

The area of the store where they were standing was dedicated to gags rather than restraints, which prompted Drusus' next question.

"You were looking at gags when I overheard you, though. May I ask your boy a question or two - or perhaps you would prefer to ask him yourself?"

“He can speak. Julian. I want you to answer this citizen’s questions honestly and show him the same respect you show me. Understood?”

The boy nodded, though Ven noticed he wasn’t quite as relaxed as he had been at hearing his master’s words.

“Yes, Dominus.”

“Good boy.” Marcus turned back to Drusus.

“Ask him what you like. The gods know he understands more about these things than I do.”

"Which is a good reason to talk with him about it." He looked down at the youngster. "Julian, is it? What sort of gags have you been trained to wear?"

“Yes, Sir. All kinds. Ring gags, ball gags, dildo gags…” he shuddered a little at that, but continued without a pause. “Spider gags. Apologies Sir, some others I don’t have the names for.”

"And which did you find the most comfortable for long-term wear?"

“Ball gags, Sir.”

Drusus looked back up at Marcus Aemilius. "He's a good boy. If you want to gag him for more than an hour or so, I suggest a medium ball gag, and don't leave him on his back so that he can't turn his head. All the gags Phallusy offers have a quick release in case they need to be removed in an emergency. Your boy will have experience of that - well, if his training centre was a reputable one he will, but he will also have learned that he is only to do so in an extreme emergency if you can't, for some reason."

Marcus nodded.

“I don’t intend to leave it on for long periods. I like his mouth too much. I was thinking of getting a ring gag to have him wear occasionally. I’ll make sure I never leave him alone with it on though.”

"If you aren't sure about something, start small and slow and build up. He can probably take more than you think, and you will learn his responses and limits as you go. Do you know where he was trained?"

“Some private citizen. The name on his record didn’t mean much to me. I bought him because I liked his looks, not because of his training. That was just a bonus.”

"Where were you trained, Julian?"

Ven appreciated the softening of his master's voice as he asked the question, there was no need to be abrupt or confrontational especially with a potentially skittish slave.

“A...private master and mistress, Sir. I - don’t know the name of the place. It’s an estate outside Rome. They had others there.”

"Hmm."

 _That_ could mean anything, of course.

"Is there anything else you need help with, when it comes to equipment or training or anything?" Drusus asked, his attention returning to Julian's master. Marcus frowned in thought, rubbing Julian’s neck before replying.

“I’m sure there is, but I don't want to take up any more of your time. Thank you.”

"I've got the time. If there's anything you need practical help with, I can arrange for a place on one of the MasterClass courses Phallusy has." He paused to consider. "Or perhaps you would prefer to continue this conversation at my house over dinner, maybe some time this week?"

The older slave, who’d been standing patiently and quietly behind his master his whole time, visibly deflated at hearing that. Marcus’ eyes lit up.

“If it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition on you, I would very much like that. I tend to be a private man, and would prefer most of the questions I have to be answered in private.”

"Of course it wouldn't be an imposition. Would Wednesday be a good day for you, or Thursday?"

“Wednesday would work well, thank you. What time?”

"Shall we say six o'clock?"

Ven had his secretarial satchel open and lifted a business card to his master's hand so that Drusus could offer it to Marcus Aemilius. Marcus snapped his fingers. "Julian!"

The young slave rose smoothly to his feet. Taking the card, he offered it to Marcus, who accepted it with a nod before glancing at the address. The small exchange made Drusus raise his eyebrows in surprise as the other citizen began speaking, although that was his only reaction.

“Six o’clock sounds good. I shall look forward to it. Thank you.”

"I shall look forward to seeing you then."

Ven rose smoothly to his feet at a gesture from his master, and stepped back into his habitual place behind his right shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> corruptio optimī pessima (title) - the abuse of the best things is the worst of all abuses  
> Dominus - master  
> puer dēlicātus - delicate boy, pretty boy. The "exquisite" or "dainty" child-slave chosen by his master for his beauty as a "boy toy" and cast in the passive role of receiving anal penetration.  
> Universitās - university  
> concubīnus - male sex slave


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Danni: this part was editing a few hours after being posted as for some reason the last bit of the chapter was cut off.

It had been a rather quiet day by the time the evening came. There hadn't been many clients at the morning's salutātio, and the visit to Osteria Nova in the afternoon had been much as usual. Petrus showed the expected guest and his slave into the atrium, which was nice and cosy with the retractable glass roof over the impluvium closed against the still chilly weather.

Master got up to greet his guest, bringing him over to have a seat. There was a cushion set ready for his slave.

"Good evening, I hope your trip over was all right? There shouldn't be much traffic out yet, at least," Drusus said, settling back onto his own couch as Moss came over with a basin of warm water to wash Marcus Aemilius' feet, the usual hospitality offered to a visitor. His own slave would probably have his indoor slippers ready by the time he needed them.

Marcus sat down gratefully. Julian dropped elegantly to his knees on the cushion at a gesture from his master, head down and posture subservient.

"It wasn’t too bad thank you. Certainly no worse than usual.” Marcus looked around with interest. “Nice place you have here. Very sensible size. I want to thank you for the other day. You gave me a lot to think about, which I needed to do."

"Dealing with slaves well mostly depends on observation and communication," Drusus said mildly. "There is more to it than that, but those two things are the foundation - and that goes for any slave, not just your boy. I can see why you chose him, he is very pretty."

Marcus smiled, resting a hand on his boy’s head. Julian leant into the touch, closing his eyes.

"He is. And so obedient and respectful. Best impulse purchase ever. He’s been good for me. I don’t want to do anything that has the potential to harm him."

"Of course. I will caution you, though, that his training may have instilled certain negative reactions or emotions about some things, and if that is the case, it will take time and patience from you to overcome that."

Moss had finished washing and drying the guest's feet and silently stood, taking the bowl with him as he was dismissed. Another slave came out and waited to be noticed, bending to quietly pass a message on.

"Dinner will be served shortly," Drusus said. "I hope you don't mind if we make it an informal meal out here?"

"I don’t mind at all." Marcus settled himself more comfortably back in the chair. "It’s nice out here. It’s been a fairly mild winter, overall. I’m not looking forward to the summer though."

"Summers are just an excuse to get out of the city and spend time elsewhere," Drusus said, signalling that the slaves could bring the food out now. "I tend to go to my country villa in summer, though I've been thinking about spending some time in Greece or somewhere this year."

The food was served, a selection of tasty-looking finger foods, easily eaten while reclining or sitting. Drusus helped himself to a stuffed egg, indicating that his guest could begin eating.

He offered a piece of sausage to Ven, who was kneeling on a cushion beside him. "I hope you don't mind," he said. "I generally feed my boy at the same time I eat."

Marcus raised an eyebrow as he helped himself to some sausage.

"What a coincidence. I do the exact same thing. Have since day one. I find the action soothing and intimate.” Marcus offered Julian some sausage too. The boy took it neatly, lightly kissing his master’s fingers in thanks before chewing and swallowing. “And he is adorable to look at. Your boy is quite attractive as well. Ven, isn’t it? Unusual name. But then, my secretary is called Cupido, so I can’t talk."

Marcus grinned as he ate a piece of cucumber, before offering another slice to Julian.

"Yes. I don't see much point in renaming a slave, even if the name is rather out of the ordinary." He offered Ven an olive, which Ven took carefully, kissing the tips of his master's fingers as he did so.

"So what sort of issues have you run into with your Julian? He seems perfectly obedient and attentive to me, although I've only seen him for a few minutes."

"He is. That’s not the problem." Marcus patted his slave’s head. "I haven’t run into any issues, per se, so much as I want to try new things? And I don't want to accidentally hurt or scare him through my lack of experience. I also recently had a few - unpleasantries - happen in my life." Marcus chewed an olive while he debated how to say what he wanted to next. "I had to very recently mete out some rather harsh punishments on a few of my house slaves. I worry they think I’ve gone soft, seeing the lack of respect that was on display. It was only a couple involved, but as I want to bring in some new ones, I feel I need to establish myself as being in control from the beginning. But I don’t want to be too harsh either."

Marcus fed Julian some more, stroking his head absently in between.

"No slave should be permitted to show a lack of respect. Backchat and impertinence should always be punished, of course they should," Drusus said. "Do your slaves know your house rules?"

"Yes. At least, they did. After what happened, I feel I need to change up a few things. Though my house is undergoing renovations in a couple of weeks, and all my slaves except those I need to attend me will stay on one of the estates while it’s being done. When they come back, especially as more will be joining the house then, I feel it would be a perfect time to re-establish a few things."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I have to say that when it comes to establishing rules, you should keep them as simple as possible, and give your steward the authority to enforce them - mine is allowed to give any slave six with a strap if they do something requiring such punishment but that isn't egregious enough for him to bring to my attention. It should be understood that if you need to deal with something, it really is serious and the slave concerned should expect a more severe punishment in consequence."

Drusus reached for a cube of cheese which he offered to Ven. Marcus grimaced.

"Er...bit hard to give your house steward that authority when he’s currently the one being punished...sod it. Drusus, I don’t know how aware you are of my recent rather publicly announced divorce, but my now ex-wife intimidated and scared my house steward into keeping quiet and disobeying my standing orders. When I found out, well...I’ve been lenient with him because of mitigating factors. But, let’s just say once his punishment is over, I don't think he’ll ever disobey me again. But the issue remains that I need to re-establish my authority. I don’t know how best to do this, as I’m not into beating slaves or having them terrified of me. I’m fortunate that some naturally have the type of temperament that works with my approach, like Julian and Cupido, but others don’t."

Marcus looked tired and done with life for a moment, before pulling himself together and offering Julian an egg. The boy took it neatly, lips touching his owner’s fingertips in thanks. Glancing across at Ven through his eyelashes as he chewed, his dark eyes observed what was happening between their masters without making it too obvious. Ven got the impression he was very observant and fully understood what was being said, but he was also very good at hiding it.

At least when out in public or in a strange place. The perfect slave.

"Sorry to unburden myself on you like this, but you have a certain - reputation - when it comes to being a firm but fair master to your slaves. A reputation that comes from the Serene Emperor himself. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me."

"Ah." Drusus helped himself to another piece of sausage, giving himself time to think. "Being willing to punish a slave with a whipping or a caning does not make anyone a bad master, and done properly it should not make any slave terrified of you. If you, or anyone else, were to resort to that all the time for the smallest infractions, with no consistency, I am sure your slaves would end up terrified. The key is fairness and consistency."

He offered Ven some sausage.

"If your slaves know your rules, which is why they should be kept simple, and know what to expect when those rules are broken, and moreover receive that when the rules are broken, you should not have an issue. You may have to be willing to dole out a caning or two - six strokes of the cane has a salutary effect and the welts do not last long, but will serve as a reminder for a week or so. If you are willing to dole out corporal punishment when needed, you will eventually find it is needed very rarely."

He tapped Ven's head, making the slave look up attentively.

"When was the last time I caned any of the household slaves, pet?"

"Ah - just before your visit to Britannia, last summer, Master."

Drusus returned his attention to his guest and Ven lowered his eyes again.

"Of course, if a slave cannot be rehabilitated, there are training centres - _reputable_ training centres. In the very last resort, there is the slave market, but that should only be necessary for the most incorrigible slaves."

Marcus sighed.

"I did send the female slave involved to the market. I didn’t know what else to do; she had absolutely no respect for me at all. Before that, they each received a caning. I did it in front of everyone else. My steward begged for forgiveness and promised to never disobey me again, so I gave him another chance. I really don’t want to have to get rid of him. He’s good at his job. Just terrified of _Her_."

Marcus grimaced, rubbing his forehead.

“Even once she was no longer in the house…”

Ven sent the guest's slave - Julian - a curious look. His own master paid little attention to society gossip, but Ven was vaguely aware of the divorce and everything. He accepted the cherry tomato his master presented to him next.

"Surely your ex-wife has no authority in your house any more, though - she can't do anything to your steward than make useless threats?"

Marcus sighed wearily.

“One can hope. One can hope.”

Julian didn’t appear to notice the look, even though his fingers twitched in a ‘later’ gesture. He was definitely well aware of everything that was happening around him. Not that you would realise it if you weren’t looking for it. Leaning against his master’s leg, he accepted a piece of cheese, chewing quietly, and apparently ignoring everything that happened around him. 

Julian’s master didn’t seem inclined to say anything else for the moment, concentrating on eating and feeding his slave. 

Drusus took a few moments to think. "Naturally, you should run your house as you see fit. My advice would be to talk with your steward, remind him that your ex wife is no longer his mistress, but that you are still his master. If she threatens him again, he should tell you rather than give into those threats - I would be inclined to get a lawyer involved and give her a stern injunction to keep from interfering with your household."

He paused to chew and swallow some bread. "Now, about your boy here. May I suggest that when we've finished our meal, we send him and Ven off, and I show you around my playroom so we can discuss further the sort of things he will know and what you can do with him? No doubt he wants to please you, but it will be hard for him to do so if you're nervous about harming him and therefore hold yourself back."

Marcus nodded, looking somewhat relieved. 

“That sounds like an excellent idea, thank you. And it will be good for Julian to mix with strange slaves.” Marcus scratched his head as he fed him some more cheese, an adoring look on his face. Julian leant into his leg, delicately accepting the food offered, an adoring expression on his own face. They seemed to be quite a pair, Ven thought. And at least most of Julian’s behaviour seemed to be genuine. Though it was always hard to tell with a slave what they really felt, and what feelings they’d been trained to show...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> salutātio - formal morning levee where a man's clients would wait on him for handouts and to see if he wanted them to run errands or do some other favour he couldn't trust to his slaves  
> impluvium - the shallow pool in a Roman atrium


	3. Chapter 3

Ven wasn't sure how long it was before he was dismissed, and told to take Julian with him to the slave quarters while their masters continued their conversation in the playroom.

He quietly got his feet and waited for the younger slave to join him, leading him past the tablinum to the double swing doors leading to the slave quarters.

He briefly considered taking the boy to the break room, but there would be other slaves in there at this time of the evening, now most of them had finished their chores for the day, so he took the other slave upstairs to the rarely used guest dormitory where they could sit on the cots and chat without disturbing anyone else. He thought the youngster might appreciate the privacy.

"Hi, I'm Ven," he said, the first real words he'd spoken to the other since they'd first met in the Phallusy store earlier that week. The boy grinned, even as he looked around the room with interest.

“I know. I’ve heard our masters talk. I’m Julian, which you probably also know. It’s weird to finally be talking to you in person like this. I’m - not entirely sure what to say.”

Ven sat on one of the cots. It didn't look as welcoming in here as one of the actual dormitories would, but again, people would be in there relaxing or just getting an early night.

"I don't know. Are you ok, though? Your master seems… worried. As much as a free man worries about any slave, anyway."

Julian sighed. Following Ven’s lead, he sat on the cot opposite him, watching the older slave with large dark eyes.

“I’m fine. He’s - a lot’s been happening recently. I know you’re looking at my age and panicking, but seriously, I’m not that delicate. And I know he won’t harm me, even if he does start using restraints and whatever. Intentionally harm me anyway.” The boy shrugged indifferently. “Restraints and all that isn’t anything that hasn’t happened to me before. I know what to expect. I might not always like it, but it’s what I’ve been trained for. And at least he hasn’t shown any inclination to want to whip me for fun. Or lock me in a cage. Things could be much worse.”

Ven gave a wry smile; things could usually be worse unless they were awful in the first place. "How are things at home? That sounded… rough, with whatever it sounds like has been happening. If that even makes sense."

Julian looked like he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cringe at the question.

“Um...fine for me. Mostly. Apart from Dominus feeling the constant need to reassert his authority by fucking me into oblivion. But he also gives me lots of praise and cuddles for being such a good boy for him. The same can’t be said of everyone in the house. I’m - yeah. I don’t plan on disobeying him _ever_ , myself. What about you, Ven? Your master seems...like he knows his own mind very well.”

"He does. Very certain of himself and knows exactly what he expects from us, so that helps." He paused, before continuing, "If I had to guess, I'd say your master has never had a concubīnus before?...Fucking into oblivion - that's not so bad, really, I guess. I do hope he knows about lube, although considering where we met…"

Julian snorted, amusement in his eyes.

“I might be his first concubīnus, but he has fucked males before. And I know how to prepare myself. You’ve probably gathered he isn’t keen on harming me, even accidently. We were in that store for almost an hour and a half before you turned up. He was asking questions about _everything_. Was quite disgusted with some of the floggers and whips, which is a comfort. Though my skin colour means I don’t mark easy, so there’s also that.”

"Lucky you! I do, though my master doesn't always want to do all that. I hope your master realises that some of the stuff Phallusy sells is meant for actual discipline and restraint and all, though I can't imagine him hanging around those areas of the store."

“He didn’t. He wanted to know where stuff for pleasure slaves was, and proceeded to spend the next hour and a half in that area. I know how long, because Cupido told me later. He was counting every minute. I - _Dominus_ had a bad morning. And retail therapy is something that seems to be a form of stress relief for him. That’s how he ended up with me…”

The teen trailed off.

Which meant that the kid in front of him had had a bad morning, because that was how life as a slave went.

"I'm sorry," Ven said, awkwardly, and fidgeted for a moment. He could really only give the sort of advice he'd given Ari, but that probably didn't fit the situation here. "Does he let you talk to him, or initiate things - not just sex, but could you offer a massage or something else when he looks tense or stressed or whatever? Spending all his money isn't a good habit - though it isn't always bad. He got you, after all."

“Yeah. That’s another story, but I’m not complaining. There’s worse out there. Ah, not really? I don’t really initiate things I mean. He generally knows what he wants. I just do what he says. He loves petting my head. And hand-feeding me. And I’ve learnt if he doesn’t give an explicit order but is stressed to kneel at his feet and rest my head on his leg. He starts petting me and that helps calm him down, which often leads to more. He doesn’t like me offering sex, not even a blowjob, but that’ll often lead to it happening. He also has me give him massages all the time. He has his own bathhouse, which he makes full use of. Being fucked in the hot tub was...interesting. Has that ever happened to you?”

"No, I can't say it has. But I'm glad you have that, that you already _know_ that. It makes it easier, if you know things like that."

Julian looked at Ven carefully.

“Cupido said you were worried about me in the store. Why? You’d never met me before.”

Ven thought back. "No, but your master didn't seem to have an idea of what he wanted, or to know much about how you react to things. Some masters don't think what their slaves can take, physically, and end up hurting their slaves. I didn't know if your master was like that." He let out a breath. "And partly because of who my master is, and the fact that almost everything people know about him is from the internet."

“He doesn’t know what he wants. That’s why we were there for an hour and a half. I’m kinda glad he’s actually got some guidance now?...Even though I - your master makes me nervous, no offence, Ven. It’s his whole...everything. Reminds me too much of those who trained me.” Julian shuddered slightly. “I - that wasn’t always fun. Dominus is much better. He actually _wants_ me. Doesn’t just see me as a way to make money when it’s time to sell me. And he loves cuddling me. And buying me little presents. Or big ones.” He indicated the gold bracelet he was wearing on his left wrist. “Darcia used to mutter about how I was a spoilt brat, but she’s gone now. I’m glad. She wasn’t nice.”

Well, Julian could talk at least. Seemed quite capable of carrying an entire conversation. Or would be, once he was older. His immaturity was still very evident.

"You're not the first slave to be nervous around my master. He has that effect - I think he _likes_ having that effect, to be honest. But he's never harmed anyone." He'd hurt Ven enough, mostly physically, but he'd never _harmed_ him.

Julian seemed the usual sort of puer dēlicātus, somewhere in his mid-teens - the sort of slave the typical Roman would picture if asked to describe a puer dēlicātus, in fact. The thought made Ven ask, "Can I… do you mind if I ask how old you are?"

“Fifteen and a half. I know, I know. I’m very typical of a puer dēlicātus. That’s what I was trained for too. Dedicated sex training since I was eleven. Though my master’s cock is the only one that’s ever been in my arse. I - does your master share you out? It’s just I haven’t met many other concubīni out in the real world. I’m curious what’s out there.”

Ven nodded. "He does, but I don't think that's typical, really. I think most masters would prefer to keep their slaves to themselves. I've met a couple of others, and their masters definitely don't share them out." He leaned back a bit. "What sort of training did you have, then?"

Julian actually stopped and thought for a bit.

“Um...the usual? I - trained to withstand pain without crying out, unless that’s what was wanted. Trained to handle restraints, any amount of gags, sex toys, butt plugs...sounds.”

Julian shuddered. “Did not like that one at all. My reaction didn’t please them. Took three sessions until I managed to stop reacting for long enough that they declared me trained in them. Thankfully, they didn’t make me wear it at night. They were too worried about damaging me permanently to have me wear anything more than a plug at night. If I got permanently disfigured or scarred in any way, all the training would be for nothing. They - what your master said about not leaving a slave alone that’s restrained? - They left me alone plenty of times. Especially when I was gagged and restrained in the dungeon. I -” Julian swallowed, before forcing a dismissive note into his voice. “Otherwise, I was taught to read and write, educated in basic geography, history and math, give massages, attend to a master in any possible way they could require that wasn’t sexual, drape a toga...The kind of things every master expects of a body slave I guess. Oh. I was also trained to sing and dance and play the flute and lyre. Dominus gave me a flute for Saturnalia, and I sometimes play for him. I don’t sing or dance for him often. He prefers having me cuddled up to him. Not dancing in front of him. Which suits me.”

He paused for breath, and smiled brightly at Ven. Too brightly.

“Does that answer your question? I - don’t know what specifically you want to know about. Sorry.”

Ven caught the forced cheer of that bright brittle smile. "Yes, I think so - you had a better education than me, for sure. I always feel like I'm playing some sort of game of catch-up with everything, when it comes to the other things I do - I don't know if you know I'm my master's secretary as well as his concubīnus?"

“I didn’t. But I understand it’s not uncommon to do that? Dominus has Cupido for the secretary stuff and me for the concubīnus stuff, though when the paperwork gets bad, I help with it.” Julian spoke in a rush, the cheerful demeanour seeming to become more genuine.

Ven had already observed that the boy was an expert at hiding his true feelings or thoughts on anything, so it was hard to tell as he continued to talk. “Do you know Greek? Cupido knows Greek. He’s teaching me a little of it. All the swear words, mainly. But he says it’s a good starting point because they’re actually interesting.”

"It's not typical to have one slave for both roles, is what I meant." Ven pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged, tucking his short tunic down so he wouldn't accidentally give Julian an unexpected eyeful. "I know Greek - well, sort of. I grew up in Campania, where they still speak Greek. It's not like what they speak in Greece, though, probably, though I think I could make myself understood."

“Cupido learnt in Anatolia, where he comes from. It’s his first language. He learnt Latin later. Dominus picked him up over there when he was with the legions. That was twenty-nine years ago, so he’s been here a long time. Almost twice my lifetime!”

Ven nodded. The kid was young and seemed to want to talk - but hadn't given away any personal information about his master. And whatever role Cupido had in the household, he seemed to be someone Julian looked up to. Ven was glad that he had that, at least.

"You said my master makes you nervous. What about _your_ master, though? How is he as a master?"

Julian frowned.

“Um...he’s a good master. At least, I think he is. He praises me whenever I do something right instead of just punishing me when I mess up. He hands feeds me whatever he’s eating most every meal. He - recently Callidorus copped it, but he did stuff up pretty big. And he wasn’t sold like Darcia. Still got a caning though. I wasn’t aware Dominus knew how to use a cane. He does, at least enough for punishment. He also didn’t break the skin, though the bruises didn’t look comfortable. So long as you obey him, though, Cupido told me I don’t have to fear that. Which I plan too. I get praise and head scratches when I’m good. And presents. I like presents.”

Julian smiled brightly at him.

“Does that answer your question? He’s not abusive or anything like that. Though…”

Julian hesitated, the bright smile melting off his face.

“Ven. May I - may I please ask you a question? It’s - I would like an outside opinion. Especially from someone whose master seems to be so strict, yet not abusive.”

Ven turned serious as Julian's face lost its bright smile. "Of course you can ask me a question! I'm not going to bite, you know."

“I - I just worry it’s not my place to ask. But I want to know…” Julian chewed his lower lip absently for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “I - people like your master...or even others...you are older and more experienced than me...um…”

He took a deep breath.

“How _do_ people draw the line between abuse and punishment? Like - if someone was whipped so bad they were left with nasty scars for dropping a plate at a dinner party, is that punishment justified? Or is it abuse?”

Ven blinked. "I… That happened here, ages ago. I mean, not the scars, but the last time my master caned someone, it's because they dropped something because they didn't tell our steward they couldn't serve at dinner that day. It didn't leave scars though - just six strokes of the cane. I think anything more than that could be abuse, especially if it left scars. Especially if that sort of punishment is common in the house even for little things."

His expression grew concerned. "It wasn't _your_ master who did that, was it?"

He didn't think Marcus Aemilius Flavianus seemed the type, but he wasn't a slave in that household, what did he know!

Julian looked horrified at the suggestion.

“Gods, no! He was mad about it. He says it was abuse, Cupido and Sidonius say it was abuse, even Senator Appius says it was abuse and uncalled for! But poor Mars still believes it was a justified punishment. Especially as, after he ran to the Lararium in Dominus’ house for refuge, SIPAS investigated his former master and found no evidence of abuse. Their recommendation was to send him back. Master was able to wrangle the courts to buy him himself. I - if it was abuse, why didn’t SIPAS find anything? That’s why Mars says it can’t be abuse. I - it’s confusing.”

Ven uncurled himself, putting his feet on the floor and leaning across the gap between the two cots, reaching to grasp Julian's hands. "I think that it was, especially if it was pretty common in that house to get that sort of treatment over little things like that. There have been some problems with some SIPAS inspectors, though. I don't know how much I can say, but I know some older cases are going to be looked at again. I can ask if that could be one, if you think Mars wouldn't mind answering some more questions about it?"

Julian looked at their clasped hands, before up at Ven.

“Your hands are soft. Um, I can’t answer for Mars. He pretends like things never happened. Um…I really don’t know if he’d want to answer questions. The past is in the past type thing. You’d have to ask him. If he’d talk to you. He’s not that keen on talking to strangers.”

Well, that was understandable, of course. It would be Ven's master who'd initiate re-opening older cases, anyway, which was how Ven could ask about re-examining this one in particular. "That's OK, he might not have to, but if he did need to answer some questions, I suppose he'd prefer to talk to me than a free man?"

Ven's master could probably find out which inspector had looked into this particular case if he asked Master Marcus, and checked dates and case files and things. Not that Ven really knew much about any of that stuff.

"Would it help you and the others if someone looked at that again, though?"

Julian was young, he needed to be able to trust that SIPAS would look at things properly and right now, it seemed that he wasn't sure.

Julian shrugged. “If you can stop people from glancing around and ticking off their sheets, go for it. I know SIPAS never inspected the Dungeon. They inspected _me_ a few times, but I wasn’t being abused, so naturally they found nothing. One almost got into a fearful row one time with my then master when he stuck his giant finger a bit too far up my arse though. They wanted to sell me as a virgin, and went to great lengths to make sure that happened. Another time, the inspectors had tea and chatted to the master and mistress before looking around. They had me serve them the food as part of my training.”

Ven's eyes widened. "Um. Do you mind if I go and get my tabula and make some notes? I think… I think this is important, though I can't promise anything will happen. But the more information we have, the better."

Julian frowned.

“I thought my then owners had some special exemption or something. I got a lot of comments from the Inspectors about how pretty I was though.” Julian looked somewhat pleased with this. “They praised my form when I delivered the note to them. That was nice. Said how smoothly I moved and knelt. I got real food that night.”

Ven nodded. "I'm sure you were good. Would you be OK on your own here for just a moment? I'll be quick."

Julian looked down.

“I will be okay. You - won’t be long?”

"You won't know I'm gone!" Ven squeezed his hand and got up. "I promise."

He slipped back down the stairs, going through the bifold doors to the garden and into the tablinum to grab his tabula from his satchel. He paused before heading back to the guest room and helped himself to a couple of handkerchiefs from the linen store.

He paused outside the door as he heard voices inside. He'd left the kid on his own, but couldn't say he was completely surprised to see that Icarus was sitting there with him, a watering can by his feet. The older man seemed to be in the middle of a story and Ven crossed quietly to the cot where he'd been sitting, and sat back down. Julian was completely enthralled, sitting on the cot with crossed legs, eyes glued on Icarus. Glancing at Ven as the older man finished speaking, Julian smiled.

“Ven, you’re back! Icarus was telling me about a race between a hare and a tortoise. A friend of Dominus’ has a pet turtle. I haven’t met her, but Sidonius says she’s mean and likes snapping at fingers. I wouldn’t think a tortoise would win a race, but apparently the hare was so confident he would win, he took a nap and slept for too long! So the turtle won. Have you heard the story before? Icarus says it’s a lesson in not to be too overconfident so that you orchestrate your own downfall.”

All this was said with barely a breath taken in-between sentences.

Ven grinned as Icarus got to his feet and ruffled Julian's hair. "I have, Icarus has lots of stories like that."

The kid was adorable, it really was no wonder his master had fallen for him. Ven thought that if he played his cards right, he'd have Marcus wrapped around his little finger before Saturnalia this year.

Smoothing down his hair, Julian looked expectantly at Ven.

“What sort of notes are you making? I hope I haven’t said anything wrong. I know I can talk, but I don’t think I said anything wrong?” He looked worried.

Ven smiled warmly at him and pulled up his note-taking program on the tabula.

“No, you haven’t said anything wrong. I just want to make some notes of things so we have somewhere to start - there's going to be a big investigation into some of the things SIPAS was supposed to have done and didn't, and the more actual information I can offer my master, the better."

"He'll make sure what happened to Mars won't happen to anyone else?" Julian asked, subdued. "That's why you want to know these things?"

Ven nodded firmly.

"Yes. So nobody can hurt you or anything else again, OK? Where was it you did your training, again?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Lararium - household shrine, usually found in the atrium, or (occasionally) the slave quarters  
> SIPAS: Societās Imperātōrium Prohibēre Atrōcitae Servīs  
> tabula: tablet computer


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a change of POV for this one - we hope it's not too jarring for you!

"Welcome to my playroom," Drusus said, sliding open the glass door from the garden. The room he led his guest into was a nice size, decorated with a mosaic on the floor and painted walls. The wall to their right had shelving where Drusus kept his camera equipment, and there was a comfortable reading couch in the corner by the door. 

Everything else was to the left. The wall that the door was in also had rows of hooks, where all the various floggers, paddles, canes and whips were displayed, each hung their own hook by a leather loop. The hooks nearest the door held leashes of various materials, each one long enough to allow a leashed slave to walk three paces behind whoever was holding the handle.

There were various items of furniture along the left side of the room, each of which could be moved out when required. Facing the door was a set of drawers, probably holding various toys, and more shelving for spreader bars and similar things.

Marcus looked around, eyebrows going up.

"You have quite the collection."

"I don't use every single item on my Ven, of course," Drusus said, allowing his guest to take it all in. Which Marcus did; he looked possibly slightly overwhelmed by it all even, at least by some of the whips and floggers. 

"I've built this collection over several years, there's absolutely no need to rush out and buy everything. There's only so much you can do at one time, a slave has to have time to recover, after all. And aftercare is so important."

"I don’t plan on doing anything to Julian involving any type of corporal punishment anytime soon. I don’t really know what I want from him is the real problem. I don’t know what I’d like. Or not. And I don’t want to hurt him in the meantime."

Drusus took a light flogger from its hook and held it out. "Not all impact play is punishment, and something like this is too light to harm even someone whose skin marks easily, like Ven's does."

Marcus took it carefully, testing its weight.

"It is light. There’s barely any weight to it at all. I know just from his skin colour Julian won’t mark easily. But your Ven does."

"He does, but even with him, that will take a while to only produce a faint blush. It's light enough to use on the cock without harm. Whipping or flogging does not have to be for punishment - it can be very pleasant to see the reaction that such impact can have, and the sex afterwards is extremely satisfying. The implements I use for punishment are much heavier than that, but I don't resort to those very often, and even they need not harm the slave. It depends very much on the slave, and how hard the instrument is wielded - and I would not inflict more than about twelve strokes of a cane without warming the slave up with something like that, or perhaps this."

He showed a medium weight flogger, with long suede strands. Marcus felt it, nodding thoughtfully.

"That’s heavier. I imagine this one could leave a visible mark?"

"It'll bring a blush to the skin, but won't bruise or cut. Perhaps I should have kept Ven with me to offer a demonstration."

"It’s fine. Another time, maybe? Now I have Julian, I really would like to venture out of my comfort zone and try some new things with him. New for me, anyway. Though I’m still not so sure about a beating not hurting a slave. Even with such a lightweight flogger. But you are the expert."

"There's a difference between hurting a slave, and harming him. Any sort of impact play - probably any sort of play at all that isn't just straight sex - will hurt to some degree. But as for harming, not at all, especially with proper reassurance and care afterwards, when you hold him and tell him he's a good boy and you're pleased with him. The point of using implements such as these is to induce endorphins, to mix pain and pleasure. And the pain is of a very different sort, with different associations, from that inflicted when punishing a slave."

Marcus pursed his lips, thinking.

"How does his body tell the difference?"

"The intensity you start with will help. When I need to punish any of my slaves, I will inform them why and then I will give them a little while to think about it. The punishment itself will be intense and over soon - six strokes with a cane, for instance. If the main focus is pleasure, I will build up to it, with something like one of these, and lots of petting and reassurance. It will feel very different to him if he is aroused than it would otherwise, even at the same intensity."

Marcus frowned.

"I still don’t like the thought of using anything like that on Julian."

"You don't have to - it's something to think about, anyway. You might choose to try it and decide you don't like it, or find you do. Nobody is going to judge what you do in private with your own concubīnus, after all."

"One thing I do want to try is restraining him. While he’s perfectly behaved, the thought of him physically not being able to move holds a certain appeal."

Drusus replaced the flogger he was holding, and crossed to the drawers. He opened the top one and removed some leather cuffs and a double-ended snap link. "These are what I use with my Ven. They're for short term use, but are sturdy enough that they can take all the pulling he exerts. And a quick-release snap like this is more than strong enough, even for suspension, and quick to release in an emergency."

Marcus looked a lot more interested in the cuffs then he had been in the flogger. Taking one of them, he ran a finger over the inside.

"I bought a pair of these the other day. I like how padded they are. Julian looked gorgeous wearing them, though I didn’t restrain him."

"If you don't want to use a flogger or any such implement on him when he's restrained, I suppose the next question should be what do you want to do with him?"

Sex, probably, but there were so many ways to build up to that.

Marcus sighed in frustration.

"That’s the problem. I don’t know. Vanilla sex just doesn’t cut it. I want more, but I don’t know what I want. Not to hurt him, definitely. But that’s it." 

"My dear Aemilius Flavianus, I think your desire not to harm your boy is admirable. I think it highly unlikely that anything you do will have any adverse effects on him, indeed. His training has taught him how to deal with far worse things than you could do to him. I suggest that you at least consider buying a light flogger, just to experiment with. That is not going to hurt him badly, after all. Consider it… a little nutmeg with your vanilla.".

Marcus blinked.

"A little nutmeg with my vanilla. I’m still not sure flogging him is the answer, though."

"There are far more things one can do with a restrained slave than simply flogging. Exploring sensations is one - did you purchase a blindfold, by any chance?"

"No."

"Well, it’s easy enough to improvise one, with a scarf or something. And then you can explore different sensations - fur, or a feather, or just trail that flogger over him. Or use one of these, perhaps." He opened another drawer and pulled out an implement which had a small spiky wheel set into a handle. "That won’t hurt at all, unless you press hard, but the reactions can be quite interesting, depending on where you apply it."

Marcus frowned at the implement.

"What on earth do you call that?"

"It’s a pinwheel." Drusus ran the spikes over his own arm, and showed the other citizen that there was no blood or trace of any injury. Marcus tried it on himself, and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"That’s...actually feels rather nice."

"Just imagine the effect it will have on your boy, when he can’t see it, or where you plan to use it."

The senator’s eyes took on a faraway look. "Yes. I will have to get one of these I think."

"There are all sorts of other sensations you can experiment with, too. Ice and wax - there are specially formulated candles that melt at a lower temperature - or you could use warm chocolate sauce or something similar, if you prefer."

Marcus hummed. "Hmm. I never thought of that. Do you have more suggestions for things that could be used? Julian is very sensitive already. It would be fun to see how he reacts to these things. Especially if he can’t see them beforehand."

"You can use just about anything. Soft, hard, spiky, ticklish, silky, cold, hot - any sensation at all. You’re only limited by your imagination. I have played with Ven like that, though I don’t think I recorded it."

"So I just restrain Julian, blindfold him, and start? He won’t panic if he doesn’t know what’s going to happen?"

Drusus blinked, and took a breath. "Well, I suggest you talk to him - especially if it’s the first time you’ve ever done anything like this. Blindfolding will heighten his other senses, he’ll be straining to listen, to work out where you might be and what you might do. I wouldn’t start with something too harsh on the skin to begin with. Even your hand on his body will probably startle him a little, at first. You will want to make sure that the room where you are is quite warm - warm enough for him to be naked with no discomfort, because otherwise he will be too concerned with the overall cold."

Marcus nodded. "Okay. Is it necessary to have a dedicated room for these things, or can I do it on my bed? The room is warm."

"Of course you can do it in your own room. I keep all my various implements in here simply because this is where I record my videos with Ven, but I make use of my own room for private sessions just as much, especially if I’m not using very much equipment."

"So as long as I talk to him and praise him while I do things, he shouldn’t panic about it?"

"Watch his reactions. I see no reason that a trained slave such as he is should panic, but if it seems that he is, unfasten him from whatever he’s cuffed to and take the blindfold off. Then give him whatever he needs - usually hugs and a soothing voice will calm a panicking slave, and the reassurance that he hasn’t done anything wrong and you’re not angry with him."

"Julian is so eager to please, I worry he won’t say anything, even if it gets too much."

"Which is why you need to pay close attention to him and how he reacts to things. This sort of game is perfect for helping you to learn how he responds, in fact. Have everything you need prepared first, but keep things out of sight until he’s in position. Do make sure that you have everything ready for once the session is over, too. Doing things like this can lead to anxious or depressive states afterwards unless you're there to offer reassurance and praise, and maybe some snack or a drink - precisely what your Julian will need is likely to differ from what my Ven needs, although they will probably both require praise and comfort."

"He loves head and neck scratches. And orange juice is one of his favourite treats to have. Apart from sugar, which I only feed to him in extreme moderation."

Marcus looked slightly embarrassed as he said that, but the expression was gone quickly as he focussed on what Drusus was saying.

"You’re very new to this, you’re very new to Julian. I wouldn’t gag him the first few times you do this particular exploration with him because it will be easier for him to make it clear if he really is in discomfort. The more attuned you become, the easier it will be to step out and try something else."

Drusus paused for a moment before turning to the shelves where his video recording equipment was. He held out a book, titled _The Complete Manual of Slave Mastery._

"This might help with some of the issues you’ve had with your slaves. It’s not specifically a book about doing all of this, although it does touch on it."

Marcus took it, flicking through with interest.

"I think I’ve sorted out the issues now, but this will help. Thank you. I’ll get it back to you as soon as I’ve read it."

"Keep it, I’ve got several copies." Drusus’ tone was a little dry - of course he had several copies, being a co-author. "You can refer to it any time you need, rather than rushing through and missing something."

"If you’re sure then, thank you. I don’t have a lot of time for reading right now. What with arranging the remodel on my house and organising where to stay in the meantime. And of course, there’s the Senate to deal with."

Marcus didn’t look terribly thrilled at that last thought. 

Drusus gave him a sympathetic look; he knew about dealing with the Senate - he had his own issues to deal with, thanks to his unlooked-for appointment as Praetor to look into the various allegations of corruption by SIPAS officials and audit SIPAS. Seriously, how much time did those on the Palatine think he had? He was a very busy man, and it was only going to get worse.

"If time is limited, start with the chapter on communication." Drusus suggested. "I can also recommend the classes Phallusy runs - they're available online if you can't make it to one of the stores, and you can learn at your own pace and in private."

The senator nodded.

"I will look into it, thank you. I - it’s all just so new. And I don’t just mean the concubinus thing. Julian is still very new. I know eventually I’ll get to know him as well as I know my secretary, who I’ve had for twenty-nine years now. But in the meantime, I feel rather like I’m trying to simply stay afloat without actually going anywhere."

Drusus smiled at the picture. "Observation is key. He seems to have been trained to hide his thoughts and emotions, to give you a blank expression. That might work for you, or it might not, but you have stated categorically that you don’t believe negative reinforcement is any way to train a slave, and I agree with you. So reward him whenever he does something you approved of - tell him what he did and that it was good. The less he has to guess how to please you, the better it will be for you."

Marcus sighed wearily.

"Oh, he’s trained all right. I’m working on getting him to show more expression. It’s starting to come through when we’re in private at least. And when he’s with the other slaves. Knowing him, he’s probably talking your Ven’s ear off right now. Yet, if you or I was there, he’d kneel neatly on the floor and not say a word."

"Well, knowing his place is good - there are slaves out there who don’t, after all. I really can’t offer much more advice because everything is so specific to you and your slave, and it will take time. I’ve had my Ven for over a year now as my concubīnus, though he’s been a slave in this house for longer than that. He never had training in being a pleasure slave, so everything he knows he has learned in my service. Your Julian may have to unlearn quite a bit of what his training taught him, and learn what you prefer."

"He is already. Learning what I like. And there are some things I didn’t even realise I liked until I got him. He’s a sweet boy; very obedient and eager to please. How anyone could want to purposefully hurt him or ignore him, I don’t know."

"There are some strange people out there." Drusus said in agreement. "But he's yours now, and you can treat him as you like." He glanced around the room. "Did you have any more questions about anything in here, or shall we return to the atrium?"

"I do have another question. On the subject of restraining him, what are the best things to use? I have the cuffs, but should I use rope, or is there something better?"

"With the cuffs, I use a length of chain and the double-ended snaps I showed you. Rope is best left until you are more confident and have had some practical training in its use. There are too many things that can go wrong if you've never used it before, whereas the simple snaps can be unhooked in seconds, even if he's thrashing around in a panic attack. Carabiners are another option, for the same reason - he won't be able to undo them himself, whichever you choose."

"I don’t think he would undo them himself, even if he was able to. I’m not even sure he would in an emergency situation. Unless I explicitly told him to. He does well with explicit orders at the present moment." Marcus sighed. "I don’t know if it’s a result of how he was trained, or if all concubīni are like that. My house slaves certainly aren’t. At least, most of them. But then, they are older."

"The clearer you can make your order to him, the easier it will be, and the more reason you have to reward him when he carries them out." Drusus said. "My Ven isn’t a typical concubīnus - I originally bought him as a house slave. But he has adapted very well, and is almost exactly the slave I wished for."

"He’s very well behaved and calm. And obedient. I gather he’s your secretary as well?"

"He is, and he's doing an excellent job of it, too. I had only intended it to be a temporary measure, but he's turned out to be as good as a trained secretary. The few things he doesn't know, he's been able to learn from an online course."

"Those online courses are great. I have my soon-to-be head cook doing some while the house is being remodelled so she can take over the kitchen when it’s done. She’s been working in the kitchen since she was seventeen, but always under someone. But I think she's good enough to be in charge. She knows what I like to eat, which is the main thing. And she is a good cook."

Drusus nodded. "I do think that you would find our own Masterclasses to be useful in beginning to explore some of this with your Julian. The classes are for master and slave, and are designed to be an introduction to new ideas and techniques. Once you have some ideas of what you can do, you are only limited by your imagination."

"You said your Masterclasses are available online? I really haven’t got the time or desire to add more outings to my schedule."

"They are, via the Phallusy website."

Marcus nodded. "I will definitely look into it when I have a moment. It seems I might be taking another trip to Phallusy soon as well."

"Show my card and you will be assured of the best service. If you have my difficulties, I will see what I can do - and I will arrange a discount for that course, as well."


	5. Chapter 5

Ven chose his moments carefully when he needed to talk with his master. Even if Valentine's comment about being able to manipulate his master was true (and he was pretty certain it wasn't the case at all) he had no intention of having his master order silence and totally dismiss anything Ven might need to say. So he waited until Master's guest and his slave had left and his master had expended his pent-up energy in some rougher than usual vanilla sex. 

He didn't get a chance to initiate the conversation.

His master pulled him close and allowed himself to explore Ven's arse with one hand. "So, I hope you had a good talk with Julian this afternoon."

"Yes, Master. Um…" The thought trailed off; he wasn't quite sure how to phrase his question.

"Um? Was that going to be a question, pet?"

"Yes, Master. If… if two citizens saw a slave go to the lararium of one of them, seeking sanctuary from the house of a third, but SIPAS investigated and said there wasn't abuse, even though both the citizens think it was… would that be the sort of thing you want to know about, for your investigation into SIPAS, Master?"

"Yes. Is this a hypothetical question?"

Ven shook his head. "No. One of Senator Aemilius Flavianus' slaves ran to his lararium, to get away from his previous master. Apparently the SIPAS inspectors didn't think there was a case of abuse or mistreatment or anything, and it took some effort for Aemilius Flavianus to buy the slave in question. I've got some notes, if you want to see them."

His master removed his hand from Ven's arse and reached to his bedside table to retrieve his own tabula, passing it to Ven, who pressed his thumb to the sensor and pulled up his notes. "I wasn't very clear on the sequence of events, Master, but one of Senator Aemilius' slaves had received a severe whipping for dropping a plate - apparently that sort of thing wasn't uncommon. And when his master took him to the Senator's house, he went to the lararium for sanctuary. So of course that sparked an investigation, but SIPAS concluded that there wasn't any abuse even though Mars - the slave - still has scars from all the whippings he was given. And he was going to be sent back to his owner except the Senator bought him."

He looked up, to see that his master's expression was serious. He returned to his notes. "Apparently it took some persuading before they were willing to sell Mars, though. And he thinks it wasn't abuse because SIPAS says it wasn't, though Senator Aemilius Flavianus and a Senator Appius think it was. And Julian seemed confused about it." 

He moved to set the tabula aside, and his master took it from his hand, returning it to the night stand.

"He asked me, if it was abuse, why did SIPAS say it wasn't? And suggested that Mars thinks it wasn't, because SIPAS said so. I wasn't sure what to say - I couldn't tell him that maybe they'd been bribed. And Julian's training place might be in on it, too, it sounds like that didn't get a proper inspection at all while he was there, and I'm sure some of his training wasn't… didn't follow proper guidelines."

His master's arm went around him and Ven snuggled into his side, shifting a little as his master's hand went to his bum, kneading it possessively.

"He said he was left alone when gagged and restrained. He's only fifteen." Ven sighed. "They taught him to read and write, and play music, and dance, all the usual sort of training for a concubīnus. But…"

"But?" 

"I don't know, Master. I said it was wrong, I said I'd tell you, especially because you're looking into SIPAS ignoring this kind of thing." He tried to tuck himself further into his master's side. He was suddenly aware just how fragile a hope it was for any slave to have his case looked into - he had once claimed the sanctuary of his own master's lararium and if he'd needed SIPAS to help and they hadn't…

The hand moved from his arse to stroke his back at the shudder he gave, before his master's hands were at his shoulders, pushing him away, and then Master took his chin to lift his head. He almost didn't dare meet his master's eyes in the golden glow of the bedside lamp, but they were not the cool blue he was used to. 

If he had to put a name to the expression he saw there, it would be 'concern'. 

Well, that was silly. He couldn't duck his head, but he could drop his eyes, and did, looking at his master's collarbone. 

"What do you need, Ven?" 

The room swam before Ven's eyes and he blinked fiercely, but a single tear still rolled down his cheek. 

"I need to know that… if anyone does that, that SIPAS won't just send them back to a master who's been abusing them and will keep on doing so because nobody's going to stop him."

"I don't think I can do that, pet."

A second tear joined the first and Drusus wiped it away with his thumb.

"Maybe not, Master, but… but you can look into it and make it harder for people to get away with it and that will… that will make it easier for slaves who need someone to help them."

His master wrapped his arms around him, pulling him down until Ven's head was resting on his master's chest, the cotton of his master's sleep-tunic warm under his cheek and the steady heartbeat soothing in his ear. 

"There's my good boy, Ven. Don't worry about that now. I will do what I can."

The light went out and Ven was soothed to sleep with the steady beat of his master's heart in his ear and his master's hand stroking his back.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
> corruptio optimī pessima (title) - the abuse of the best things is the worst of all abuses  
> Dominus - master  
> puer dēlicātus - delicate boy, pretty boy. The "exquisite" or "dainty" child-slave chosen by his master for his beauty as a "boy toy" and cast in the passive role of receiving anal penetration.  
> Universitās - university  
> concubīnus - male sex slave


End file.
